MONROE, N.C. – Four students at Central Academy of Technology and Arts (CATA) won a regional esports championship earlier this month, the third esports trophy for the school.
Car Go Brrr, a Mario Kart team that includes junior Gavin Cusumano and sophomores Anirudh Ala, Kyler York and Nekoda York, went undefeated going into the finals and defeated a rival team they lost to in last year’s playoffs.
Coach Scott Bryan with Mario Kart team members Gavin Cusumano, Kyler York, Nekoda York, and Anirudh Ala
The final was a best-of-three series. CATA won convincingly in the first set, 152-82, before managing a 118-116 win in the second set.
“Obviously the club is a lot about the competitions and about being competitive, but it’s really about a lot of the underlying things we are doing for each other’s benefit to move forward together,” said team captain, Gavin Cusumano.
“Keep the little [negative] things to yourself. [Keep communicating] what’s important in the moment,” adds teammate Nekoda York.
PlayVS esports started at CATA during the 2022-23 school year by Scott Bryan, the coach and a digital and game design teacher.
“In-person, scholastic esports give students the opportunity to build a community where they can develop empathy, learn effective communication skills, collaborate strategically with their peers, contribute significantly to a team, develop grit, and innovate as leaders. These skills are honed under the guidance of a coach, and it has a monumental impact on students’ lives outside of the game.”
The team will now play in the National PlayVS Cup next May.
